[shan2129]

@greasemonk : congrats on your booking and lets hope you get the BULL soon. When you do get it, please write a review and post pictures.

[Motorholic]

Prologue: The Awakening

A rather strange 'what bike' comparo, I agree. Let me start with my rather limited 2-wheeler history.

It isn't. A few years back when I used to hang around some other forums, so many had the doubt, Electra or Pulsar. The reasons we all know, are obvious.

I've made the booking.

Bliss.

Even spirited riding within the city leaves it dripping oil in my garage until its next, inevitable, visit to my mechanic. And my definition of 'spirited' with this bike is generous to say the least.

So, it's been a bit of a lemon right? The Enfield is a bike that requires attention. Initially with a used Enfield, you have to repair it's niggles but after that it's about maintaining it the way it is. Your bike simply shouldn't be operating the way it is. But I guess you know that part already.

On my occasional trips to Mahabs with my friends on their ZMAs, R15s and 220s I have often just ended up stranded on ECR for 15 minutes since my engine decided to take a break while my friends disappeared through the haze.

I do not resent my bike for it. It was made for a different era. Where potholes and cows limited riders well within thumping speeds and national highways were a distant dream. I am well aware of Bulleteers who ride across the country on bikes far older than mine, but much to my disappointment, I am not disciplined or mature enough to be able to pull it off with my own.

At the end of the day, what is a bullet? A machine. Metal, oil, et all. If it's fixed, it has to work. If it's broken, you just have to fix it. Period. If you have read enough and know about motorbikes to use them well, don't sell yourself on this idea of lacking discipline or maturity. As far as I am concerned, the bike isn't bigger than the rider. Change your mechanic or tell him to straighten out his act. Seriously, if a bullet can't go fast in a straight line, there is little else that machine can do. But if you don't know how to take care of your machine, don't fool yourself into believing you do either.

I am not that fast a rider nor one that went on long rides. But I sure as hell knew when I ripped open that throttle down the ECR that I didn't have to think about anything but the ride. And the haze that I would see other bikes in was because of my eyes wobbling in their sockets from the pleasant vibrations that filtered through my rear end, not because of the engine having given up on me. Actually, that never happened with me. And, I bought my machine used too. I did have small niggles in the background like wanting to change something cosmetic or telling my mechanic to improve the drum brakes but it was never the mechanical prowess of the machine or the lack of it that deterred me from riding it in any other way than I wanted to. Or more accurately, at least not to the extent of even deliberating on the idea of another bike.

Reading your post, it left me questioning if you would have bought a new machine if your old one operated well, the way it should have. And with bullets, we know they can operate well for a long, long time. Probably I was also lucky to get a good used piece which is why I have faith in the process of buying and owning a used bullet.

But then on the bright side, I wasn't as lucky as you are going to be, astride an awesome piece of machine which for a change, will ride better than what it looks. A new bike is a new bike. And the one you're buying will roll like the monk won't need that grease anymore . Enjoy the ride. Would love to hear more about it as you put it through it's paces!

[ACM]

grease monk - is it yet not in your hands? Amazing that they are not able to boost production as yet.

[GreaseMonk]

Originally Posted by Motorholic

But then on the bright side, I wasn't as lucky as you are going to be, astride an awesome piece of machine which for a change, will ride better than what it looks. A new bike is a new bike. And the one you're buying will roll like the monk won't need that grease anymore . Enjoy the ride. Would love to hear more about it as you put it through it's paces!

Mr Funkhausen, welcome back to T-bhp. You havent been here in a while. By the way, last time I took the bike to Shankar, and he did a stellar job with fixing the leaks. Starting to reconsider Jaf's dedication to the job as far as I'm concerned. I just need to learn some Tamil. Is Shankar's Tamil different from the regular dialect? I have a real hard time understanding anything he says.

Originally Posted by ACM

grease monk - is it yet not in your hands? Amazing that they are not able to boost production as yet.

Haha, not yet. I was pretty laid back about waiting for it until I rode one of my friend's C5s on ECR yesterday and now I'm getting impatient again!

When I booked the bike (3rd week of Jan) they said it would take 12 - 16 weeks (end of May). I then got a letter from RE stating that it would be delayed to the end of June. I called them up a couple of weeks ago and they now said July. Let's see.

[agbenny]

Originally Posted by GreaseMonk

Haha, not yet. I was pretty laid back about waiting for it until I rode one of my friend's C5s on ECR yesterday and now I'm getting impatient again!

When I booked the bike (3rd week of Jan) they said it would take 12 - 16 weeks (end of May). I then got a letter from RE stating that it would be delayed to the end of June. I called them up a couple of weeks ago and they now said July. Let's see.

When I booked by TBTS, I started pestering the VP for Sales. Yes, I got his mobile number from the local dealer - they gave me because of my torture. Hence I got my TBTS in 8 weeks, which is the first one in Coimbatore.

I hope you are doing that too. LOL!

As a owner of an RE bike, I appreciate your decision. My cousin did the same, he own a Bullet 350 1982 model, and went to buy his new one. His first choice was a BP220 and the same day he tested Classic 350. He didn't turn his head to Bajaj afterwards, and now is he a happy owner of Classic 350.
He sold his old 82 bike for 50K, even more happier now, as after riding it for 3 years, he sold it for double the price.

Best wishes and update us with your ownership thread!

[Motorholic]

Mr Funkhausen, welcome back to T-bhp. You havent been here in a while. By the way, last time I took the bike to Shankar, and he did a stellar job with fixing the leaks. Starting to reconsider Jaf's dedication to the job as far as I'm concerned. I just need to learn some Tamil. Is Shankar's Tamil different from the regular dialect? I have a real hard time understanding anything he says.

Chief. When I visited Jaf with you and saw the kind of stuff going on that day, I kind of got the feeling that it was a bit too commercial. I've heard the same elsewhere too. Can't remember where though. And seeing Jaf's work or rather his workshops work, I appreciate the hands-on Shankar. Dude, this guy won't even let his nephew ride the bike. Really, his nephew who has assisted him for 8-10 years now still can't ride a bullet. If you are ever stranded in the middle of god knows where, the only person Shankar will rely on bringing your bike to his workshop is himself. Nobody else is allowed to ride it. What I've observed of him is that, he has way too many customers to cater to. So his strategy seems to be to try and satisfy everybody. But with the limited time he has, he just does enough to ensure the mechanicals are sound and make sure the bike is running. Want to get a cosmetic mod done? First pester him. Then some more. The routine visits go by. But finally if it's time to give him the bike for a few days, the cosmetics will get done. But even so, he doesn't care too much for them and would say, "waste paa". He will argue as to why you want some special indicator while he himself was addicted to either the stock indicators, Yamaha RX indicators or else Caliber indicators. This guy is the kind of mechanic who doesn't really need or want more work; he can afford not to do it because he has too much on his plate anyway, which is also the reason why you'll never get your bike back on time. A mechanic I knew at Electra told me about one guy who got his bike back from Shankar after 1 year. I think he's also insecure of sharing his craft with anybody else; many mechanics work in workshops and then open their independent workshop but you'll never see an outsider working at Shank's place. Heck, one vacation I even asked him if I could work at his place, the guy gave me the most perplexed look I'd ever seen on his face. On Shankar's Tamil; I didn't think it was that hard to catch but then I guess I've gotten so used to him that I can't objectively give an answer to that now! But don't worry, he'll still understand you . Probably you find it hard because he also uses his mechanic-jargon too (read not carburettor but obscure words which have been conjured over time by the mechanic community), in a way which mechanics ensure their customers can't understand but yet try and make them feel that yes, this is rocket science I do! And yes, Shankar will use plenty of this when he feels like to shut his customer but not to hardsell them some useless 5000 rupee part. So don't worry on that front. But otherwise he's a real slick operator and the only way you'll ever get work out of him is because he wants to do something on your bike. Can be satisfying and frustrating all at the same time. Make him your regular and eventually (I said eventually!) you'll be rewarded. On another note, the language part reminds me of one guy I once saw at his place. Like every other customer, frustrated as hell with deadlines not met, an African was trying to muster the few words that he knew in tamil, sputtering them out with such disgust. And to appease him, our man Shankar was lecturing him in Tamil and the guy was actually bobbing his head up and down like he understood every word said, and would then retort with the same words all over again. Cracked me up big time.